100 Themes about Nico and Hades
by Lemariz
Summary: Hades is a powerful god and Nico di Angelo is only a troubled boy, but deep down, they're not that different at all. One hundred short stories about the father-son relationship between Hades and Nico. All unrelated. Chapter 12. Insanity
1. Introduction

**I've decided to do the 100 Themes challenge that other authors have done.  
**

**These 100 themes will be entirely about Nico di Angelo and his dad Hades, because their father-son relationship is just fascinating, so I'd like to explore that bond.  
**

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Rick Riordan, who owns PJO.**

**The stories will cover everything that happened or could possibly happen between the two of them, or to each of them, in the past, present and future.**

**The 100 Themes are:**

**1. Introduction**

**2. Love:** A father reflects on his relationship with his child.

**3. Light:** The Lord of the Dead receives a present.

**4. Dark:** Nico prefers the dark.

**5. Seeking Solace:** A boy seeks comfort in the midst of his grief.

**6. Break Away:** Nico wants real freedom.

**7. Heaven:** Hades has to answer an important question.

**8. Drive:** Nico learns how to drive.

**9. Advertisement: **Sometimes, a perfect family might not be what you need.

**10. Breathe Again:** When your son is trapped in a jar, all you can do is worry.

**11. Memory: **Nico relives the memory of his mother's death.

**12. Insanity: **Our favorite son of Hades is intrigued about the mental health of some of his siblings. **  
**

**13. Misfortune  
**

**14. Smile  
**

**15. Silence**

**16. Questioning**

**17. Blood**

**18. Rainbow**

**19. Gray**

**20. Fortitude**

**21. Vacation**

**22. Mother Nature**

**23. Cat**

**24. No Time**

**25. Trouble Lurking**

**26. Tears**

**27. Foreign**

**28. Sorrow**

**29. Happiness**

**30. Under the Rain**

**31. Flowers**

**32. Night**

**33. Expectations**

**34. Stars**

**35. Hold My Hand**

**36. Precious Treasure**

**37. Eyes**

**38. Abandoned**

**39. Dreams**

**40. Rated**

**41. Teamwork**

**42. Standing Still**

**43. Dying-**

**44. Two Roads**

**45. Illusion**

**46. Family**

**47. Creation**

**48. Childhood**

**49. Stripes**

**50. Breaking the Rules**

**51. Sport**

**52. Deep in Thought**

**53. Keeping a Secret**

**54. Tower**

**55. Waiting**

**56. Danger Ahead**

**57. Sacrifice**

**58. Kick in the Head**

**59. No Way Out**

**60. Rejection**

**61. Fairy Tale**

**62. Magic**

**63. Do Not Disturb**

**64. Multitasking**

**65. Horror**

**66. Traps**

**67. Playing the Melody**

**68. Hero**

**69. Annoyance-**

**70. 67%**

**71. Obsession**

**72. Mischief Managed**

**73. I Can't**

**74. Are You Challenging Me?**

**75. Mirror**

**76. Broken Pieces**

**77. Test**

**78. Drink**

**79. Starvation**

**80. Words**

**81. Pen and Paper**

**82. Can You Hear Me?**

**83. Heal**

**84. Out Cold**

**85. Spiral**

**86. Seeing Red**

**87. Food**

**88. Pain**

**89. Through the Fire**

**90. Triangle**

**91. Drowning**

**92. All That I Have**

**93. Give Up**

**94. Last Hope**

**95. Innocence**

**96. In the Storm**

**97. Safety First**

**98. Puzzle**

**99. Solitude**

**100. Relaxation**

**P.S. I can't promise to update on a regular basis, because I'm a busy person, but I promise I will finish this.**

**Ideas and suggestions are welcome, as well as criticism.**

**Hope you enjoy!**


	2. Love

**LOVE**

"_Hades turned back to Nico, his gaze softened just a little." _-The Sword of Hades-

The boy knelt and laid down the sword at his feet. Hades could tell he was nervous. His little voice cracked a few times when he narrated the quest that he and his friends had completed. The god also noticed how the kid's hands were shaking slightly. His son was afraid of him.

He didn't blame the boy though. He knew he was pretty intimidating, with his black robes, his black, maniac eyes, his deep voice and overall hard features. If the other gods feared him, a mere boy would only be terrified of him. He wouldn't expect anything different. And the current situation didn't help matters, considering that he was sitting on a throne made of fused bones, at his full height, glaring at everybody, especially at his wife, who ordered to forge a sword behind his back, risking the relative peace he enjoyed with his blasted brothers. He was really pissed at the moment. He was more than pissed; he was enraged. The god of the Dead imagined a hungry lion wouldn't have looked more menacing than him right now.

He wished the circumstances were different, that his son could see him as a father instead of a cold, uncaring king; instead of a master. But he didn't know what to do to change the child's perception of him. He had never been good at expressing his emotions. On the other hand, he hadn't seen Nico in over seventy years, which made being around him just plain awkward. So naturally, he acted with the boy as he usually did, meaning, harsh and distant.

He was, by default, a bad tempered god, if not angry even. He had been angry and bitter for a very long time, having little patience to deal with other people. He certainly wouldn't start to change now, becoming cheerful and happy all of a sudden. Much less in front of his wife and his brothers' children.

Still, when he looked back at his son, who was kneeling on the floor with his head down, he couldn't help but soften his gaze. The boy was trying hard to impress him. Therefore, he controlled his anger when he spoke to him, hoping to appear less scary.

"_You will speak of this to no one", _he told him_.  
_

"_Yes, lord," _the kid answered.

"_And if your friends do not hold their tongues, I will cut them out"_, he added just because he couldn't resist the temptation of being cruel to other demigods.

After threatening to Persephone some more, he left the room.

Once he returned to his work, Hades realized of something. He was actually glad to have his son back. Because after all, what he felt for the boy, could be described as love.

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**Review please!**


	3. Light

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, alerted and/or favorited this story. I really appreciate it :)  
**

**Here's chapter 3!  
**

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**LIGHT**

16-year-old Nico waited expectantly while his father examined the object in his hands with mild interest. They were in the throne room, where the Lord of the Underworld was resting from his hard work in his bony throne. Persephone was absent that day, luckily.

"What is this?" Hades asked.

"A lantern. It's all black, but if you turn it on, little skulls appear on the glass", Nico said.

Hades stared at his son for a moment, and then continued to analyze the lantern he was holding. It was a large, but not too long metal cylinder, with glass side panels, completely painted on black, except for its handle, which was golden.

"I thought it would make a nice decorative object for your palace. I mean, it goes well with the rest of the furniture", Nico explained, shifting uncomfortably.

Silence.

"It's from Turkey", the teenager added, seeing no response.

The war against Gaea was long over, which left Nico enough free time to travel around the globe and exploring new places. Since Greeks and Romans were reconciled, now both camps maintained friendly relations and he could visit Hazel often in Camp Jupiter, where his half-sister enjoyed her second chance at life. He knew that their father could've claimed Hazel's soul if he had wanted to; after all, she had already fulfilled her destiny as a hero. But Hades didn't, and Nico suspected it wasn't only for Hazel's own benefit; it was also because of him, his only son, so he wouldn't be completely alone in the mortal world. Neither of them would ever mention Hazel's name though. The fact that she was alive again, against the laws of death, remained their well-known little secret.

"True. A lantern is never useless in my palace", the god finally agreed. "What is the purpose?"

Nico looked at his father confused. "It... gives light?" he told him uncertainly.

Hades rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know it gives light. What I mean is, why would you bring me this?" he asked curious.

The boy blushed slightly. "Oh, uh... it's because, um... it's Father's Day in the upper world".

The Lord of the Underworld raised a surprised eyebrow. "Is it?"

Nico nodded, embarrassed.

"Well, that is... odd. Most gods don't receive presents from their demigod children", Hades said a bit amused.

"Most demigods don't have godly parents like you", Nico replied without thinking, astonishing the god of the Dead, who gazed at him stunned.

When the son of Hades came to realize that he had basically recognized his father as a better parent than the rest of the gods, he flushed bright red. "I have to go", Nico stuttered and rushed off the room.

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**Hope you liked it. **

**Please Review! Ideas and suggestions are welcome.**


	4. Dark

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, favorited and/or alerted this story. I'm so glad you guys like it.  
**

**Sorry for the late update. I had an incredible hard time pulling this off. You'd think the theme Dark would be an easy one, right? Well, it wasn't. Specially since I didn't want to do anything angsty or cliche. But here it is. Hope you enjoy it.  
**

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**DARK**

After a month of hard work, the Hades cabin at Camp Half-Blood was finally done. Nico felt so proud. He stood in front of his new cabin, all black with fiery green torches, contemplating the building in amazement. He had designed it after all; it was entirely his creation.

Nico stepped in the cabin, examining everything; there were four beds, covered with black sheets and blankets, two small windows with black curtains and a pair of drawers. The cabin wasn't very big, given that Nico was the only child of Hades thus far and he didn't expect that to change in the near future.

He collapsed into one of the beds, the one which was further away from the door. It had been a long day for the young demigod. They had played Capture the Flag that morning to celebrate the construction of all the new cabins and although happy, he was truly exhausted.

Nico's eyes began to close as he was slipping off into a slumber.

"That bed looks comfortable" someone said and Nico woke with a start. He immediately noticed that in the right corner of his cabin, a figure started to emerge between the shadows. He watched startled for a few minutes until Hades himself appeared before him. The Lord of the Underworld was dressed in his black pinstripe suit.

Nico shot up to his feet. "Father! What… what are you doing here?" he asked, a little flabbergasted.

"I came to talk to you, of course", Hades replied, looking at Nico curiously.

"Does Chiron know you were coming? We should probably tell him you're..." Nico started, moving towards the door, but his father raised a hand to cut him off.

"No. I don't need Chiron's permission to visit my own son, nor would I have asked him. He dislikes me" the god stated, tilting his head.

After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Hades added: "Besides, I wanted to see the cabin built in my honor for myself".

"Oh. And what do you think?" Nico ventured to ask his father.

Hades surveyed his surroundings for a few minutes. "It's... dark", the god of the Dead observed.

Nico smiled. Ever since the end of the Titan War, he had felt more at ease in his father's company. Fighting against Kronos army and being received as heroes in Olympus had brought them somewhat closer together; at the very least, their relationship wasn't as tense anymore. "Well, I like the dark", the boy shrugged.

"I know" Hades said, surprising his son. He looked like he wanted to say something more but remained silent, gazing intently at Nico. After a moment, he slowly walked across the cabin and sat on the bed in front of the boy.

He hesitated for a moment, opening his lips and closing them before speaking again. "When you were a small child, you never liked being at the daylight for a long time, you always preferred to stay in dark places". The god looked away from Nico and stared into space. "I remember that when we arrived home after you were born, you would not stop crying. It took your mother and me awhile to realize that your bedroom was very bright due to the many windows through which the sunlight entered. We figured so much light bothered you. Therefore, I closed all the windows as quickly as I could, but you only calmed down when I brought you to the shadows with me".

Hades glanced back at Nico, who was watching at him in bewilderment, and rose from the bed clearing his throat.

"Anyway, I merely came here to tell you that you are welcome to visit us in the Underworld whenever you want to; your room is still available, if you sometimes need to escape this place. Persephone won't bother you anymore, I can promise you that", the Lord of the Dead reassured his son.

Nico couldn't help but smile at his father appreciatively. "Thank you... dad", he said.

Hades offered him a faint smile, nodded curtly and then melted into the shadows.

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**Sorry if this is lame. Like I said, this chapter didn't come off easy.**

**Thanks for reading**

**Please Review!**


	5. Seeking Solace

**Here's chapter 5! Thanks to all new followers and to everyone who reviewed.  
**

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**SEEKING SOLACE**

Nico ran frantically through the woods, trying to avoid the tree branches that scratched his face. Tears were falling profusely on his cheeks, making his gaze blurred. His worst fear had come true. Percy had confirmed him what he suspected for days: his sister had died. The son of Poseidon betrayed him, he didn't protect Bianca and now his sister, his only family, the one person who took care of him since he could remember, was gone forever.

Even though he felt miserable and his legs were tired, he kept running fast, because he wanted nothing more than to leave that stupid Camp as soon as possible. However, before he reached the borders, he tripped and fell into a pit.

After recovering from the shock, he sat up and observed his surroundings. Dim light allowed him to see he was in some sort of tunnel. He was far below the surface, there was no way he could climb up on his own.

Nico leaned against the stone wall and burst into tears. Suddenly, a translucent form materialized in front of the boy, startling him. It was a ghost, as far as Nico could tell.

"Who are you? What are you doing in my labyrinth?" The ghost asked him angrily.

Nico didn't answer. He was still in a state of stupor and couldn't stop crying.

"Well? What are you doing here?" The ghost insisted.

"My sister... She d-died... I run from Camp and then I… I f-fell through a hole", Nico managed to say between sobs.

"Ah, another lost demigod. Hopefully, you will die soon, then I won't have to kill you myself", the ghost told him.

That threat snapped Nico out of his stupor. Hearing it made him angry. He was getting tired of everyone else mocking him or treating him in a condescending manner. "How will you kill me? You're dead yourself" Nico countered back with a snarl, clenching his fists.

"You will be surprised, young demigod" the ghost replied with a smirk, looking intently at Nico.

In that instant, something clicked in Nico's mind and he recognized the ghost. He gasped and pointed at the spirit with his finger. "You were there! You were there with my sister!"

"What?"

"You judged her" Nico explained. "You judged Bianca. You're one of the judges of the dead."

The ghost narrowed his eyes. "How do you know who I am? I have not told you my name. Unless..." The ghost crouched down in front of Nico and examined him closely. After a moment, an expression of realization crossed over his face.

"By the gods of Olympus! This is marvelous!" the ghost exclaimed in delight. "I haven't seen one of your kind in a very long time. Well, not one who's alive at least." He smiled broadly.

"One of my kind?"

"My boy, you have no idea of who you really are, have you?", the ghost questioned.

"Um... I'm Nico di Angelo" Nico answered, now more confused than ever.

"I am talking about your parentage. You ignore the identity of your godly parent"

Nico's heart started racing. He didn't remember his father or his mother. He and Bianca had been told that both their parents were dead, therefore, when they discovered they were demigods, it gave Nico hope. It meant that they weren't orphans anymore, because at least one of their parents was pretty much alive. And he'd been eager to find out which god was their parent ever since.

Nico stood up, feeling agitated. "Do you know who my godly parent is? Please, tell me!" he urged.

"Think boy. You must have used your powers before. A demigod like you is very powerful. Have you moved the earth recently? Manipulated shadows?"

Nico shook his head, trying to recall if he ever did something out of the ordinary during his time at Camp Half-Blood.

"Well, you knew I served as a judge of the dead in the Underworld, without even hearing my name. " the ghost pointed out. "And considering you witnessed the judgment of your sister, you probably also felt it when she passed away, did you not?

The demigod barely nodded.

"You have death related powers, boy. Can you tell who is the god that rules over all dead things? The god whose domain is the Underworld?" The ghost's eyes seemed to glow.

Nico breath stopped. He felt like the world around him started spinning. He had figured it out. He knew all about the gods and their powers thanks to Mythomagic, so it didn't take him too long to put two and two together.

"Hades" Nico said quietly.

"He is my father? I'm a son of Hades?" the demigod asked in a shaky voice, staring at the ghost in bewilderment.

The ghost nodded satisfied, as if those were the best news in the world.

Nico could hardly believe it. He had wanted to know the identity of his godly parent so badly and now that he discovered it, he wasn't sure how he felt about it. He never thought much about Hades, except that he had awesome attack points in Mythomagic and that his figurine was rare. As it turned out, finding out the god of the Dead was his father didn't comfort him in the least.

He heard the ghost began talking about great powers, abilities and stuff, but he wasn't paying any attention. All he could think about was his father. What was Hades like? Was he kind? Was he evil? Did he care about him? Why didn't he claim him back at Camp? Did he even interact with his children?

"I want to go to the Underworld" Nico told the ghost, interrupting whatever he was saying.

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The son of Hades didn't know what exactly he expected when he basically ordered the ghost, King Minos, to take him to the Underworld. They were now standing outside the walls that surrounded the palace of Hades, contemplating the huge bronze gates of the entrance. He wanted to meet his father. He hoped that maybe he would come out to talk to him. Maybe even comforted him. Yes, he wanted comfort from his godly father. He was suffering a great deal and he couldn't bear it alone. He needed to feel that the world could offer him something other than cruelty; he needed to find some solace.

However, Hades never showed up. Didn't he care about him? About Bianca? Bianca was his child too. Didn't he care that his daughter died?

"I'm going to enter" Nico announced, walking toward the gates.

"A very bad idea." Minos warned. "You cannot enter the house of a god without previous invitation. Lord Hades will probably pulverize you."

"But… I am his son".

"Silly boy. Do you think he is going to receive you with open arms? That he will embrace you? You don't know the gods. They are above human emotions. He is the King of the Underworld and you are nothing but an insignificant mortal to him" Minos asseverated.

Tears filled Nico's eyes. He had tried to keep his grief under control, but Minos' words shattered his last hope and he could no longer restrain his emotions. Like a breaking dam, he collapsed under the weight of his sorrows. The boy fell on his knees, sobbing uncontrollably.

The harsh reality slapped him hard. His sister was dead, his mom was most likely dead too and his dad didn't even care about him.

Minos moved closer to Nico. "Now, now, there is no reason to despair", he assured him. He knelt besides the demigod and whispered in his ear, "What if I told you that you could bring your sister back from the dead?"

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Hades was overlooking the landscape of the Underworld from the main balcony of his palace. His hands were gripping the railing. By the deep scowl on his forehead, anyone could guess the Lord of the Dead was in a really foul mood. He heard footsteps approaching. The smell of flowers let him know it was his wife.

"Your son is in the Underworld" Persephone said, gritting her teeth.

"I am aware of that", Hades answered, without turning around.

"He is on the banks of the Styx, tearing apart a rock. He has been weeping all day", the goddess of Spring told him irritated.

"He has been trying to contact his dead sister, but failed in every attempt. It is only natural that he is angry", the Lord of the Underworld remarked.

Persephone huffed. She didn't like being reminded that her husband had two children with that woman.

"He should have come to the Palace. Why didn't he come? I opened the gates for him to enter" Hades grumbled.

"Perhaps he is mad at you because you did not claim him properly", Persephone taunted her husband.

"It was best for him to stay unclaimed and you know it", Hades retorted.

"So did you send Minos to be his mentor?" the goddess questioned him.

"No. That idiot must have found my son somewhere else. He took the Stygian iron sword out of the armory and started training him without consulting me", the god ranted.

"Yet, you will not stop him", Persephone observed.

Hades turned to face his wife. "We cannot interfere directly with our children's lives."

"Right. That is why you hid them in the Lotus Hotel all these years?"

"Demigods must walk their path on their own", the King of the Underworld replied, ignoring his wife's sarcasm. "If he prefers to be guided by a spirit, then so be it. He will come to me when he is ready". Without another word, Hades walked past his wife and headed inside the palace.

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**The End.**

**What did you think? Too depressing?**

**Review please!**

**P.S. I want you to know that I do keep in mind your ideas and suggestions, so keep sending them. ****Thanks**


	6. Break Away

**So sorry for the late update! I've been incredibly busy. Plus, I wrote and re-wrote this chapter several times. The original story I had in mind for this chapter just wasn't working, so I changed it. ****Hope1998, I used the idea you gave me as an inspiration and although it's not exactly like your suggestion, it's based on it, thanks.  
**

**Thanks to all new followers and reviewers! **

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**BREAK AWAY**

Nico di Angelo had always been trapped. He spent most of his eighteen years trapped. He lived trapped in the Lotus Hotel for seventy years. Then, he was trapped in Westover Hall, that military school. Camp Half-Blood wasn't much better either, what with the magical borders and the you-can't-leave-without-permission thing. And although he couldn't remember it, he was pretty sure he lived his early childhood trapped in his home too. Safeguarded from the dangers of the world by the over protectiveness of his mother and father. Not to mention that one time when Gaea trapped him in a jar.

Even now he lived trapped because after all, what was the Underworld but a giant prison for souls.

Sure, he could shadow travel around world without being restricted by mortal laws and regulations. However, at the end of the day, he always returned to his father's domain, since he had no other place to go.

Contemplating the vast landscape of the Underworld from a small hill near the River Styx, Nico decided that enough was enough. He didn't want to live trapped anymore.

It wasn't that he hated the Underworld, far from it in fact, but he had to admit to himself that that this place affected him in a negative way. He couldn't escape his past in this place, where he lived constantly reminding lost loved ones and wondering how life would have been if his mother and sister hadn't died. Deep down, he still didn't get over the death of his older sister and her decision to reborn. He couldn't go on like this anymore. He was eighteen now, he needed to move on.

The boy wanted to experience real freedom. He wanted to experience real life in the mortal world, just like his other demigod friends. But most of all, he wanted to escape the Underworld so his wounds could heal.

He knew it was a big step though, moving out from his "home" to venture into the mortal world.

And there was another problem; he wasn't sure how to break the news to his father. Nico knew very well that Hades took great pride in the fact that his demigod son lived with him. The god of the Dead sort of became a counselor for the other gods, who in the councils usually asked him advice about how they could make their demigod children stop hating them. They all considered the Lord of the Underworld an expert in that area, which, of course, elevated Hades' ego more than what was healthy, even for gods standards. So naturally, it scared Nico to think how his father would react.

Despite his fears, Nico went determined to find him.

He found Hades in the fields of Asphodel with Thanatos and Hypnos. They were all at their full height, which made the whole situation more intimidating.

Nico approached the King of the Underworld carefully. As much as he had learned to trust him, he still had to remember that his father was a temperamental and all powerful god. The three gods appeared to be in the midst of a heated discussion. From what he could understand, Hades was lecturing Hypnos in ancient Greek about the inappropriateness of casting sleeping spells on the spirits that Thanatos collected.

Nico cleared his throat, loud enough to catch his father's attention.

"What?" Hades snapped, glaring down at his son for interrupting him.

"I was wondering if I could talk to you for a second", the teen said sheepishly.

"About what?"

"Um...could you perhaps shrink to human size?" Nico asked the god.

"Absolutely not! Not in front of my lieutenants", Hades barked.

"Fine", Nico mumbled. "I don't know how to say this, but, um, I'm going to leave."

"Then go", his father said impatiently and turned back to resume his lecturing.

"I mean, I'm leaving the Underworld. _Forever_. I'm not coming back."

At this, Hades turned around with a shocked expression, which he quickly replaced with one of indifference. Nico had to resist the urge to roll his eyes at his father. It amazed Nico that, after all these years, Hades still felt the need to hide his feelings.

The Lord of the Dead took his son a few steps away, leaving Thanatos and Hypnos behind, and shrank to his human size.

"May I know why?" Hades questioned.

"I just…I want to live in the mortal world. I want to have a normal life", the boy answered.

"You are a demigod. Your life will never be normal."

"I know that, but I want...I need to do this. For my own sanity", Nico told his father.

"Where will you even live?" the god asked the boy. He sounded slightly worried.

"That wasn't a problem when I was a kid and it won't be now", Nico replied. "I'll manage. Perhaps I can get a job and an apartment."

Hades stared at his son for a moment, clearly not happy with that idea.

"Very well. You were always free to go wherever you wish anyway. You are not a prisoner in here", the Lord of the Underworld said at last, crossing his arms.

"I guess this is the goodbye then."

Hades nodded but remained silent.

Nico turned with a sigh and walked straight into a shadow.

"Take care, my son", was the last thing Nico heard before being wrapped by the shadows.

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**I know it's short, but review please?**

**I'll update the next chapter sooner. I promise.**


	7. Heaven

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter! And to the new followers and everyone who put this story in their favorites. It means a lot to me that you guys like reading this.  
**

**Well, here's chapter 7.**

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**HEAVEN**

Hades was visiting Maria di Angelo, in Washington DC, where she lived with their children in a big and beautiful house. Being the daughter of a diplomat ensured her a good living, since her family was wealthy. Because of that reason, Maria could provide for her children without needing help of anybody else.

The Lord of the Underworld visited Maria often, during his free time, or as much free time as his duties allowed him. He enjoyed immensely being around her, and liked helping her to raise the children, probably because he loved her deeply. He just couldn't stay away from Maria and the children for too long; he craved their company.

Today was a normal day like others. Maria was bathing Bianca upstairs and he was watching over Nico, who had gone out to play outside with his little friends. The door was open so he could oversee Nico from the living room, while he read the newspaper comfortably seated in the sofa.

After Nico finished playing, he entered into the house with a somber expression, which surprised the god of the Dead, given that his son was usually very cheerful.

The child was looking at a little ball that he was holding in his hands, barely moving. There seemed to be sadness in his eyes.

Hades stared at Nico concerned, waiting for a reaction.

"Papa?" the little boy asked, looking up at his father.

"Yes?"

"What happens to people when they die?"

"What? Why do you ask?" Hades questioned him in alarm. He didn't expect Nico to find out his true identity until he was much older. He wondered what might have happened to his son for him to make such questions.

"My friend Marco's dad died in the war. He said it was alright though, because his dad went to heaven", the kid told his father.

The Lord of the Underworld was speechless. He had no idea what to say.

"What is heaven?" Nico kept interrogating his father.

Hades put the newspaper away and eyed his son intently, while deciding how to respond. "You see Nico", he began to explain, "when people die, their souls keep living and go to another place. Good people go to a nice, beautiful place where they will always be happy. Some call this place heaven."

Nico stared at the ball in his hands; he squeezed it absentmindedly as he seemed to consider this.

"Will you die too?"

"No. I won't. I am…different to other dads", Hades replied.

"And me? Will I die?"

That question took the god aback. A lump formed in this throat. Suddenly, the idea of this little child dying struck him as a terrible thing; it felt like someone had stabbed him in the stomach with a sharp knife.

Being an immortal that had lived for thousands of years, Hades was accustomed to see his children die. As the Lord of the Dead, he knew very well that everyone dies eventually, thus, the death of his children wasn't a real tragedy for him. He expected it actually, considering that his demigod children tended to live less than others. He loved all his children, well, most of them anyway, but with Nico and Bianca it was different. Because he had a closer connection to them, he also had a bigger attachment to them.

"Yes. Someday", Hades told Nico at last. He thought there was no point in lying.

"But, mamma and Bianca will be there too right? We'll all be together in heaven?"

"I don't know. No one can know that" the god answered honestly.

Nico lowered his head again, sadly. He looked terrified at the prospect of being alone in heaven, separated from his loved ones.

"Don't worry. You will not be alone", Hades said, to appease the child's uneasiness. "I will be there. You will meet with me after you die", he added, not without some irony.

"Really?" Nico asked, hopeful.

"I assure you."

* * *

_75 years later _

Hades returned from Olympus really happy. They had won the battle against Kronos, his relatives welcomed him for the first time in millennia and, finally, one of his children received a hero's welcome. Also, it was delightful to get recognition from Zeus, and watch the great King of the gods being humiliated in his pride by a demigod. On the other hand, how arrogant that boy Jackson, telling the gods what to do, although, since the son of Poseidon demanded a cabin for him at Camp Half-Blood, Hades guessed he couldn't hate him that much anymore.

The Lord of the Dead was heading towards his palace in the Underworld, still dressed in his black armor and red cloak, so lost in his thoughts that he almost crashed into Nico, who was marching in the opposite direction.

Nico stopped just in time, avoiding a collision with his father.

"Father", his son addressed him, almost panting.

"Nico. Where are you going?" the god asked him in turn.

The boy pointed towards Elysium with his index finger.

"Bianca", Hades observed.

Nico nodded.

"So…you lifted the curse on the Oracle", the young demigod remarked after a moment of silence.

"I did", the Lord of the Dead replied, a bit uncomfortable.

His son smiled at him, which made the god feel weird. He tried to keep walking but Nico stopped him again.

"Father?"

"Yes?"

"When Bianca and I were younger and we believed we were orphans, she used to tell me that our parents were in heaven", Nico told him. "I guess what I want to know is…what I want to ask…is my mother in heaven?"

The Lord of the Underworld felt a strange déjà vu, like he already had this conversation before. Nevertheless, he shook off that feeling to give a proper answer. "If by heaven you mean Elysium then yes, the answer is yes."

"Oh. That's…good to know" Nico said, smiling genuinely.

Hades turned to look in direction to Elysium, trying not to be overwhelmed by certain memories that threatened to flood his mind. Gazing at Nico, the god found irresistible making an offer to his son. An offer he knew the boy would accept in a heartbeat. "Would you, um, would you like to meet her?"

* * *

**The End.**

**Review and tell me what you think.**

**Also, keep sending your ideas and suggestions for future chapters. They're really helpful :)**


	8. Drive

**Thanks again to everyone who reviewed, alerted and/or favorited this story :)**

**This chapter was inspired by the answer Rick Riordan gave to a question in Twitter. "Q: if a god/goddess was in mortal form, what would happen if he/she got hit by a car? / A: Time for a new car." I read that and thought it was funny.**

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**DRIVE**

Percy had laughed in his face when he first asked him. The son of Poseidon thought he was joking, but after a long explanation and much begging, he had convinced him.

Sure, as Percy pointed out, he didn't really need it. He could shadow travel after all. The truth was though, he had just started college, and everybody had one there, and he refused to be the only looser who didn't have it. A shallow reason, Nico knew, but why couldn't he be a normal twenty year old guy for once? He just wanted to fit in. That was why Nico di Angelo was desperate to have a car.

However, not owning a car wasn't the biggest problem. The worst part was that Nico didn't even know how to drive, which was highly embarrassing.

So naturally, he did the only thing he could; ask Percy for help.

Now here he was, in the street outside Percy's apartment in Manhattan, ready for his first driving lesson. Yes, Nico had convinced the son of Poseidon to teach him how to drive.

Percy came out of his apartment a few minutes later, wiggling his car keys, but before he could say anything, a loud voice startled Nico.

"Hey, you guys!" someone yelled.

The son of Hades looked at his left and saw Leo Valdez approaching them with a big grin plastered on his face.

"Fret not my friends, the great Leo Valdez has arrived to solve all your problems" the son of Hephaestus greeted, doing a small bow.

"Leo, just in time", Percy said, handing him his keys.

"Uh, what's going on?" Nico asked

"Oh didn't I tell you? Leo here will be your teacher", Percy told Nico nonchalantly.

"But…Percy! I've asked you!" the son of Hades protested indignant.

"Look Nico, I only agreed to borrow you my car so you could learn. I never said I'd teach you myself", Percy replied.

Nico glared at the son of Poseidon.

"Sorry Nico. I'm too busy. Between college and work, I barely have any time. Besides, I'd be a terrible teacher; I have no patience", Percy explained. He tried to sound serious, but his sea green eyes were sparkling with amusement.

"So you called the most ADHD demigod of all time?" Nico questioned.

It wasn't that Nico didn't like Leo, he did like him. It was just that they were so different personality wise, that he had always felt uncomfortable around him.

"Hey, it was Annabeth's idea", Percy defended himself. "And who better than a son of Hephaestus to teach you how to operate a complex machine?" he reasoned.

Leo nodded enthusiastically. "Don't worry di Angelo. You're in good hands" he said, putting one arm around Nico's neck and dragging him toward Percy's car, which was parked near them.

The son of Hephaestus had great strength to be a scrawny guy. Both demigods were scrawny for their age, although Nico was taller than Leo, despite being a few years younger than him. So, before Nico could protest further, he found himself inside the car, in the driver's seat.

* * *

Half an hour had passed since the driving lesson began. After a rocky start, Nico gained more confidence and was driving smoothly now. Leo was a surprisingly good teacher, leaving aside his constant jokes that the son of Hades didn't even understand.

They were heading to the Empire State Building, since Leo thought it'd be funny to pass by the place where Olympus was located. Why he thought that? Nico had no idea; he gave up trying to understand Leo's sense of humor.

They were near the Empire State, when Nico noticed that there was a man standing in the middle of the street, staring at the entrance of the building.

"Um, there's a guy in the street", Nico informed his driving teacher.

"Yeah, I see him. Slow down", Leo told him. The son of Hephaestus honked the horn repeatedly, but the guy didn't even react. "Argh! Why doesn't he move?" he complained.

Now that they were closer, Nico noted the man was very tall, had oily black hair and was impeccably dressed in a black pinstripe suit. "Heh, that guy looks like my dad", he observed. "Wait, he is my dad!" he realized, puzzled.

"Change to the other lane!" Leo ordered.

"Can't! Too many cars!"

"Brake, brake, brake!" Leo yelled desperately.

Nico pressed one of the pedals and the car raced, straight toward Hades.

"That's the accelerator!" Leo shouted and before they could stop it, the car hit the god with a loud crash.

After overcoming the shock, Nico looked at Leo. He seemed to be fine, although in stupor.

Smoke billowed from the hood, blocking any view of the damage that the crash had caused. From the inside, Nico could see that the windshield was chipped, although it wasn't broken, thank the gods; otherwise, Nico and Leo would've been badly injured.

That was when Nico reacted. "Oh gods, I hit my dad!" he said and got out of the car, fast. He expected to find his father sprawled over the asphalt in a pool of golden ichor.

What he saw though, left him completely dumbfounded. He couldn't believe his eyes. His father was standing still, without a single injury, staring at a wrecked car curiously.

The car! Percy's car was completely destroyed. It looked like they had crashed against an iron lamp post. Nico panicked; Percy was going to kill him.

"Nico?" his father called him. "What are you doing here?"

"I...I…what are _you_ doing here?"

"I came to the Council, of course", Hades answered. "You are surely aware that today is the Winter Solstice."

Nico nodded.

"But alas, it appears that I arrived too early", the god explained. "The Throne Room was empty, thus, as none of the other gods were present yet, I came down to take a walk around this city."

"That's great" Nico said, not really listening to his father. He couldn't take his mind out of the fact that he had destroyed Percy's car.

"Oh my gods! This is terrible!" Leo suddenly cried out, and then started to pull several things out of his tool belt. He inspected the car, but after a brief moment he shook his head. "I don't think I can repair this", he said defeated. "I mean, I _can_, but not right now. It'd take me at least five months".

"What are we gonna do? Percy's gonna kill us!" Leo exclaimed, pacing around frantically.

Hades looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Friend of yours?" He asked his son.

Leo immediately stood straighter. "I'm the one and only Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus, supreme commander of the Argo II and a hero of Olympus", he introduced himself proudly.

The Lord of the Underworld stared at him unimpressed.

"Nice to meet you, sir", the son of Hephaestus greeted the god, holding out his hand.

"What were you doing with a car?" Hades asked Nico, ignoring Leo.

"Uh...I was learning to drive", Nico admitted.

"Why? You don't need it. You can shadow travel", the Lord of the Dead stated.

"Percy said the same thing", Nico muttered under his breath. "Look, dad, can I ask you a favor?"

"What kind of favor?"

"Can you...maybe…fix the car?"

"No"

"Why not?"

"It's a petty request. Not worthy of a god's attention", Hades answered.

"Dad, please!" Nico begged his father. "This is serious. A person's property was destroyed".

"In that case, you should become responsible for your actions. You were the one who crashed it", the god pointed out.

"You were the one standing in the middle of the street", Nico countered.

"Are you insinuating this was my fault?" Hades growled.

"No! Of course not!" Nico quickly clarified. "But…please, Dad. This is Percy Jackson's car. He will be furious".

"You're a grown up demigod. You should be able to deal with small things like these."

Nico sighed. Begging wasn't working. He needed to try a different tactic, because no way in Tartarus he was going to return a ruined car to a very powerful son of Poseidon.

"I know, I just... I hate to betray Percy's trust...again", he said, lowering his head. "After all he had done for me. I know you don't like him, but he saved my life so many times. Without him, I'd be dead already."

"But I wasn't always a good friend to him", Nico continued speaking with the saddest voice he could manage. "I tricked him and lied to him more than once. He forgave me for those things. Unfortunately, he won't ever forgive me for this."

Yes, Nico was attempting to manipulate his father into feeling sorry for his poor lonely son. "He'll never talk to me again. He'll end our friendship and I'll lose the only true friend I have."

"For Olympus sake! It's only a car", the god exclaimed exasperated.

"It's not only a car," Nico argued. "Percy worked really hard to buy it. He needs it. For him, it's almost as essential as breathing. And he won't be able to afford a new one anytime soon. His family isn't rich you know. And I doubt Lord Poseidon is as generous as you, oh mighty Lord of the Und-

"Alright, fine", Hades cut his son. He waved his hand and the wrecked car was transformed instantly into a non-wrecked, normal car. It looked as well as if it were new.

"Thanks Dad", Nico told his father, relieved.

Hades sighed. "The youth these days", he grumbled, walking away from the place.

"Dude! I can't believe he helped you", Leo said once the god had disappeared from their sight.

Nico couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, he's not as bad as he seems".

"You two seem to be pretty close", the son of Hephaestus remarked.

Nico shrugged. "I bet if you had asked your father, he would've done the same thing."

"Oh I don't think so," Leo replied with a seriousness that surprised the son of Hades.

"Well, we better return the car to Percy", Nico said. "Before another accident happens".

"Yep", Leo agreed.

Nico walked up to the car and was about to get in the driver's seat when Leo yelped.

"Move out of there di Angelo", the son of Hephaestus warned. "From now on, I'll drive."

* * *

**What do you think? **

**I know you have something to say about this chapter. Review please!**


	9. Advertisement

**Wow, more than 50 reviews for 8 chapters! Thanks a lot to everyone who reviewed since chapter one, specially to those who reviewed last chapter. As for the question, what was Hades doing standing in the middle of the street? I've no idea. You know how gods can be weird that way.  
**

**This chapter was originally #95, but a reader requested it and gave me a brilliant idea for it, so I made a swap between chapters. **

**This story takes place after the battle of the Labyrinth, but before Nico goes to Percy's house, because I'm not sure when exactly Nico discovered shadow-traveling. Let's assume he hadn't yet.  
**

**For Crystal di Angelo.**

* * *

**ADVERTISEMENT**

Nico stared at the empty tray in the table before him, grateful for his lunch. It was almost noon, so he went to McDonald's to eat something because he was hungry. A Happy Meal placated his appetite for the moment. He liked coming to McDonald's, mostly because of the burgers and french fries, but also because the place was nice and no one bothered him.

The tune of a nice song made him turn his attention to the TV. The screen featured a little boy playing on the beach. The boy was trying to build a sand castle, but couldn't do it, because the waves destroyed his work each time. Just when the kid was about to cry, his dad appeared and knelt next to him. The dad grabbed the bucket and the little shovels, offering his hand to the boy, who took it and they both stood up. Then, the image showed the boy and his dad finishing an impressive sand castle, complete with towers and ramps, away from the waves. Father and son hugged each other, smiling in triumph. Then, a woman came into view, bringing ice cream cones in her hands. As the image showed the three of them eating ice cream while staring at the castle, a voice spoke over the song: _Celebrate those special moments with Sweet Ice Cream_.

After watching that commercial the first thing Nico thought was that the ice cream looked delicious; now he really, really wanted one. He hadn't eaten ice cream in a very long time, despite being a regular costumer to McDonald's, since the money he could gather was barely enough to buy a Happy Meal.

Also, the commercial struck a chord in Nico's heart. The world presented in it was incredibly nice and full of warmth that it made you believe everything could be possible in this beautiful life.

Nico wondered if life was really like that for normal people, because for him, it certainly wasn't. He thought it'd be wonderful to have a normal family. To have a normal dad and a normal mom; parents who'd hug you when you're hurt, or tell you everything's going to be okay when you're feeling down. If only he had that. He'd be surrounded by love and affection, without having to worry about monsters or gods. Perhaps he'd have a dad who'd take him to the park to play and a mom who'd make him cookies to cheer him up. For the first time since he found out he was a demigod, he felt envy of ordinary people and their ordinary lives. If he were a normal kid with a normal family, he'd be at home with his loved ones, instead of sitting alone in a fast food restaurant.

But Nico di Angelo didn't have a normal family. He didn't know his mother, had no idea of who she was; he couldn't even remember her. And his father was far from being normal. He wasn't exactly the kind of father that'd buy his child an ice cream whenever he wanted.

He only saw his father once before, at Daedalus' judgment, which he witnessed from afar. Nico guessed he should be glad though, at least he had met his father.

Most demigods he knew back at Camp had never met their godly parents. Still, the brief encounter with the Lord of the Underworld gave him chills.

After the judgment ended, Hades headed back to his palace. When he noticed Nico standing near the judgment pavilion, he stopped and stared at him, but said nothing. The god studied his son with those dark, manic eyes that made you want to run away from him. Then, he turned around without a single word. Nico recalled having trembled under the scrutinizing gaze of Hades.

So yeah, the boy imagined going to his father's palace, walking into the throne room, uninvited, and asking him: "Hey dad, could you buy me some ice cream?" He almost laughed at the thought, but the idea actually scared him. His father would incinerate him in a heartbeat for the impertinence.

Suddenly, someone loomed over Nico's table, distracting the boy from his thoughts. The son of Hades looked up and saw a cop standing in front of him.

"Hey kid, what are you doing here alone?" the cop asked.

Nico frowned. He didn't like it when strangers approached to talk to him. "Eating a burger" he answered sharply.

"It's eleven in the morning. Why aren't you at school?" the man questioned.

Great, just what he needed; a stranger meddling in his life. However, cops had some level of authority over civilians, so he quickly thought of all the possible answers to that question. What could be a reason why a boy like him wasn't at school right now?

"Uhh…I was kicked out?" Nico replied with uncertainty.

The cop didn't look convinced. "Really?"

Nico nodded, more confidently.

The man sat down in the chair across from Nico.

"You know kid, I saw you here the other night. It was late, probably around 10 pm. You were alone too", the cop said. "I thought it was strange, but I shrugged it off. Perhaps you were waiting that your parents came out from the bathroom or something."

He paused for a moment before continuing speaking. "Now I see you again and I notice you're wearing the same clothes; you look tired and sort of dirty, so I need to ask you something."

A bad feeling came over Nico.

The man looked at the young demigod straight in the eyes. "Where are your parents?"

Uh oh. That was a dangerous question. Nico knew the answer could lead him to orphanages or foster homes, since he had no mortal relatives. And the last thing he wanted was to go to those places.

"At home", he lied, hoping the cop would leave him alone.

"And why aren't you with them?"

Nico grimaced. He really had no answer for that.

The cop smiled sadly. "You don't have a home, do you?"

"Yes I do! I have parents. They're at home", Nico said, trying desperately to convince him.

"Well, either they're really lousy parents or you're lying."

"I'm not lying!" Nico yelled, growing desperate.

"Then give me their phone number. I'd like to talk to them."

Nico felt like crying. He couldn't win this. To the mortals, he was just an orphan with no home, and he was sure that whatever he said, the cop would put him at the care of Social Services, something he and Bianca avoided for years thanks to the lawyer that checked on them, but there was no lawyer now.

Nico glanced around the place, looking for an escape. The exit door wasn't far from his reach. If only he could leave this place.

In a quick movement, the son of Hades got up and bolted towards the door.

The cop ran after him, following the boy out into the street. "Hey, come here! I just want to help you!" he shouted.

Nico ran as fast as he could.

"Stop!" the man yelled.

Nico glanced back and saw that the cop was chasing him pretty fast, quickly closing the distance between them. He turned a corner, in an attempt to avoid being caught, and stopped in his tracks; it was a dead end. He had no escape; the cop was going to catch him.

Seeing himself trapped, Nico remembered that he was the son of a god, therefore, he could still have a chance; he could try asking his father for help as a last resort. It was a long shot though, he doubted it'd even work, but he had to try it nonetheless. He had no more options.

Nico closed his eyes and muttered a prayer. "Hades, Lord of the Underworld, father, please help me"

At first, nothing happened, but after what must've been a few minutes that felt like an eternity, the shadows around him grew bigger and bigger until the whole alley was covered by them. Then, the shadows engulfed him, as in an embrace, and pulled him backwards, into a wall.

By the time the cop reached the alley, Nico was perfectly wrapped in the shadows, hidden from sight.

"What the... Where did he go?!" the cop exclaimed, burrowing his eyebrows in confusion. He searched for Nico but didn't found him. He kicked a rock in frustration, before leaving the place.

Slowly, the shadows released the son of Hades. Nico ventured a peek out of the alley and watched as the cop was walking away rapidly. A small smile formed in his lips. He realized that, maybe, having a god for a father wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

**What do you think?**

**Don't forget to review!**

**P.S. If there's a brand named Sweet Ice Cream in real life, it's a total coincidence. The name was made up.**


	10. Breathe Again

**This chapter is about Hades' thoughts and feelings while Nico was held hostage by Gaea's minions. Hardly original, since other authors have written about that. This is just my take on it. **

**According to my calculations, Nico was trapped for eight days in the bronze jar. In The Mark of Athena it says that Percy saw _three_ hash marks in the jar's wall and _five_ pomegranate seeds next to Nico, which means that there were eight seeds in total. And if one seed sustained him for a day, then Nico spent eight days trapped. Follow the thoughts of the god of the Underworld during each of these days.  
**

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**BREATHE AGAIN**

Day 1

The Lord of the Underworld was chasing a dozen souls who managed to escape from the Fields of Punishment. Ever since his lieutenant Thanatos, the god of Death, went missing, he had to patrol his realm all day to prevent a massive flight of souls. He drew his sword to send them back to their places when he felt a tug inside him. An image of Nico flashed in his mind. Something had happened to him. He was certain of it. He could sense his son's life being under threat. He focused, trying to locate him. The boy was somewhere...in Tartarus? Gaea forces caught him. He could see the figures of some giants, along with a bronze jar. Oh no, his son was in a mortal danger.

Day 2

"Welcome back", Hades told Thanatos, who was recently freed. "Continue with your work."

Thanatos bowed his head before the King of the Underworld. "Do you have any specific orders, my lord?" he asked him.

Hades gripped the armchair of his throne. He felt tempted to order him not to collect Nico's soul in case the boy died, but held his tongue. He was the Lord of the Dead after all, he couldn't do that. He just hoped his newly revived daughter would take the hint. He wanted his son to be rescued and he counted on her for the task. "No, you can leave", he said to the god of Death.

Day 3

Three days had passed since Nico was trapped in a bronze jar, which greatly worried Hades. A mortal couldn't resist several days without enough air to breathe. His son was going to die of suffocation if no one saved him soon. And all he could do was watch. He hated feeling so powerless.

Day 4

Anxiety was consuming the Lord of the Underworld. He could feel Nico's energy becoming weaker and weaker with every minute. He would've lost hope if it weren't because Persephone told him earlier that his son grabbed some pomegranates from her garden before he went searching for the Doors of Death. He knew that those pomegranate seeds could help Nico to live a little longer.

Day 5

Hades was starting to become desperate. Why were those demigods taking so long to reach Rome? His son was running out of time. The god knew very well that most heroes, his children especially, didn't have long lives, but he wasn't ready for Nico to die, not yet. He was fond of the boy, so to speak. For the first time in many centuries, he had a child who didn't hate him completely and with whom he could have a semi decent relationship. He didn't want to loose him.

Day 6

The god of the Dead began to drown in work to distract himself from his useless worry. Besides his usual duties, he also took charge of simple tasks, like feeding Cerberus, something that Nico used to do sometimes. He approached his loyal three-headed dog, who whimpered when he saw his master. The animal looked as depressed as him. "You miss him, don't you boy?" Hades said, patting all three heads, "I miss him too."

Day 7

The Lord of the Underworld stood in front of the borders of Elysium, hesitating whether to enter or not. The death of his son was imminent. His life aura was fading quickly. And there was one person in Elysium that he had thought needed to know about Nico's situation: his mother. Although now he doubted it was a good idea at all. What exactly was he going to say to Maria? _Good news, dear. Our son will soon join you_. Probably not the best idea. Deciding against it, he left the place

Day 8

Hades was pacing back and forth in his Throne Room. The demigods had arrived to Rome, but Nico still wasn't safe. His son could die at any moment now. Mixed emotions filled the god. He felt anger, sadness, anxiety, dreariness, all at once. He couldn't believe it had come to this. All he did to protect him, to protect Maria's children, was all for nothing. First Bianca, now Nico. He blasted a large stone vase with a ball of black energy in his rage. He was going to loose another child…again. Then, out of sudden, he stopped feeling the tingling sensation he always felt whenever one of his sons or daughters were about to die. Nico's life aura stopped fading, he wasn't in danger anymore. He could see it pretty clearly. Those demigods had rescued him. He sat on his throne, relieved. His son could breathe again. Finally.

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**There you have it. The first ten chapters are done. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed, alerted and/or favorited this story. What was your favorite chapter so far? Please, share your opinion in a review. I want to know what you think :)**


	11. Memory

**Sorry for the late update. Lack of inspiration and real life problems got in the way of finishing this chapter. Anyway, I finally finished it.  
**

**A while ago, a reader called Lady Leaf8 asked me to write a chapter about what happened after Nico watched the vision of his mother's death and Hades cursing the Oracle in The Last Olympian, so here it is. This is a continuation of that particular scene.  
**

**The words in italic were taken directly from the book, obviously.**

**For Lady Leaf8.**

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**MEMORY**

_"I swear," Hades said, "as long as my children remain outcasts, as long as I labor under the curse of your Great Prophecy, the Oracle of Delphi will never have another mortal host. You will never rest in peace. No other will take your place. Your body will wither and die, and still the Oracle's spirit will be locked inside you. You will speak your bitter prophecies until you crumble to nothing. The Oracle will die with you!"_

_The girl screamed, and the misty image was blasted to shreds. Nico fell to his knees in Persephone's garden, his face white with shock._

_Standing in front of him was the real Hades, towering in his black robes and scowling down at his son._

_"And just what," he asked Nico, "do you think you're doing?"_

Nico looked up at his father, dazed. His mind couldn't quite process the image he just witnessed. It was a lot to take in. More than he had expected. Zeus attempted to murder them all, killing their mother in a brutal attack. His father ordered Alecto to wipe their memories. The Oracle of Delphi enraged a grief-stricken Hades to the point that he lashed out his wrath at her. He cursed the Oracle.

Nico had always suspected that tragedy played a role in his past, but he didn't imagine it would be this big.

"Well?" Hades asked again, demanding an answer.

"My mother...you...the Oracle..." Nico stammered; he couldn't find the words to speak. He was still too overwhelmed.

"You", Hades started, pointing a finger at his son, "had no right..."

"You saved us", Nico voiced out loud, suddenly comprehending the entire situation. He had almost died. He should have died. If the King of the gods wants you dead, odds are you won't survive. He was still alive only because Hades had shielded him and Bianca from Zeus's murderous lightning bolt. "We would've died too if it weren't for you. You cared about us", the boy added.

Hades's scowl faltered for a moment. He seemed taken aback by Nico's comment. Then, his features hardened again.

"Don't change the topic! You freed that upstart Jackson, acting behind my back. You _betrayed_ me", the god accused his son.

"No! I just…"

"You also summoned your mother's spirit against my will. There was a reason why I forbade it" Hades said, shaking his fists into the air as he spoke.

Nico stood up, feeling a variety of strong emotions he couldn't fully understand. His father accused him of betrayal, but he had no qualms about hiding the truth and using his son to accomplish his own selfish goals. "Why?" Nico shouted. "Because you didn't want me to find out about your little curse?"

"Because I wanted to protect you", the god firmly replied. "No child should carry the burden of knowing that their parents were brutally murdered."

"I needed to know what happened to her!" Nico protested.

"Well, now you know. Are you _happy_?" Hades questioned him.

Nico winced. No, finding out the truth didn't make him happy; it only reinforced his previous conviction that the world was a cruel place. Tears welled up in his eyes. He felt a sudden urge to weep at the unjust and pointless death of his mother. "I'm sorry. I didn't think that...that..."

"That what? That her death would be so horrible?"

"Yes", Nico admitted. "But…I don't regret what I did. I needed to know about my past".

Hades shook his head in disapproval. "You heroes are all the same, thinking your way is better than ours, we gods, who have sustained this civilization for thousands of years".

"You didn't tell me anything. What was I supposed to think?" Nico argued.

"Didn't occur to you that maybe my refusal could be motivated by your well being?"

"No, I had no idea I meant something to you", Nico muttered, looking down.

"Of course", the Lord of the Dead nodded. "Perhaps you thought I was an evil monster like the rest of my family does", he stated, as if it were a fact rather than a question.

Nico stared at his father, studying his demeanor. The god seemed more hurt than angry. He remembered how in that vision Hades didn't want to send them to Camp because he feared his children would be turned against him. For the first time since he met him, Nico came to understand his father. The Lord of the Underworld could act tough and harsh, but deep down, he just wanted to be accepted. Nico realized he had an advantage; he could use that to convince him to join in the war against Kronos.

"You can change that, you know", Nico said.

"What?!"

"If you don't like how your family sees you, then change their perception of you. Help them to defeat Kronos."

Hades's eyes widened as if he had heard a personal insult. "I don't need to listen to you" he said coldly, before turning away from his son

Nico walked behind him, determined to make this proud god change his mind.

"Father, you have to fight in the war."

"No, I don't have to."

"It's the right thing to do."

"I don't care."

"People will die!"

"It's not my problem."

"Yes it is!" Nico screamed.

Hades stopped in the middle of the garden, where Demeter and Persephone were apparently eating cereal. Demeter conjured two more bowls when she saw both of them.

"You have to help the others", Nico told the Lord of the Underworld.

Hades covered his ears with his hands to avoid listening and started pacing back and forth. Nico was becoming more and more frustrated. The god of the Dead was behaving like a child.

The boy followed his father and waved his arms to stop him.

_"You have to!" Nico insisted. _

_Demeter and Persephone sat behind them at the breakfast table. Both of the goddesses looked bored. Demeter poured shredded wheat into four huge bowls. Persephone was magically changing the flower arrangement on the table, turning the blossoms from red to yellow to polka-dotted._

_"I don't have to do anything!" Hades's eyes blazed. "I'm a god!"_

_"Father," Nico said, "if Olympus falls, your own palace's safety doesn't matter. You'll fade too."_

_"I am not an Olympian!" he growled. "My family has made that quite clear."_

_"You are,'' Nico said. "Whether you like it or not."_

_"You saw what they did to your mother," Hades said. "Zeus killed her. And you would have me help them? They deserve what they get!"_

_Persephone sighed. She walked her fingers across the table, absently turning the silverware into roses. "Could we please not talk about that woman?"_

_"You know what would help this boy?" Demeter mused. "Farming."_

_Persephone rolled her eyes. "Mother-"_

_"Six months behind a plow. Excellent character building."_

_Nico stepped in front of his father, forcing Hades to face him. "My mother understood about family. That's why she didn't want to leave us. You can't just abandon your family because they did something horrible. You've done horrible things to them too."_

_"Maria died!" Hades reminded him._

_"You can't just cut yourself off from the other gods!"_

_"I've done very well at it for thousands of years."_

_"And has that made you feel any better?" Nico demanded. "Has that curse on the Oracle helped you at all? Holding grudges is a fatal flaw. Bianca warned me about that, and she was right."_

_"For demigods! I am immortal, all-powerful! I would not help the other gods if they begged me, if Percy Jackson himself pleaded-"_

_"You're just as much of an outcast as I am!" Nico yelled. "Stop being angry about it and do something helpful for once. __That's the only way they'll respect you!"_

_Hades's palm filled with black fire._

_"Go ahead," Nico said. "Blast me. That's just what the other gods would expect from you. Prove them right."_

_"Yes, please," Demeter complained. "Shut him up."_

_Persephone sighed. "Oh, I don't know. I would rather fight in the war than eat another bowl of cereal. This is boring."_

_Hades roared in anger. His fireball hit a silver tree right next to Nico, melting it into a pool of liquid metal._

The god looked at Nico with a mixture of guilt and horror before disappearing from the garden.

"Typical", Demeter huffed.

Nico ignored the goddesses and walked away, going in search of his stubborn father. He had to convince Hades to join in the war, if they hoped to stand a chance against Kronos. Without the help of one of the Big Three, their chances of winning were slim.

The son of Hades began to ask every spirit he encountered if they had seen the Lord of the Underworld, but everyone answered they hadn't. After a while, he came across a skeletal guard that pointed toward outside the walls of Erebus; toward the River Styx.

Nico crossed the walls and walked alongside the river, looking for Hades.

He found him at the farthest point of the river, where there was a surprisingly nice beach and the water ran smoothly, free from any pollution. Nico wondered to himself if his father had this place in mind when he offered his mother a golden palace by the Styx.

Hades was staring into distance, with his arms crossed and the accustomed frown on his face, apparently unaware of his son's presence. Nico approached him silently.

"I've told you. I will not help the other gods" Hades said, without turning around.

Nico knew that he risked his father's wrath by coming in here to talk to him but he was getting kind of tired of Hades's self pity. The god was not acting reasonably, so he dared to speak up.

"Father, think about it, Kronos wants to destroy the entire civilization and you won't do anything to stop it?"

"Why can't you understand?" Hades snapped, facing Nico. "My family hates me!"

"And why can't _you_ understand?" Nico answered back, almost yelling. "This isn't about you. It's about saving the world!"

Contrary to what Nico expected, Hades didn't blast him in an outburst of anger. In fact, he didn't react at all. He just kept gazing at Nico with an emotionless face. Nico didn't know which was more dangerous though. He feared that his father could explode at any moment now, given that the Lord of the Underworld was more unpredictable than a moody teenager.

"Even if I wanted to help, they wouldn't let me. They don't trust me", Hades objected.

"They need your help. I think they would let you."

"Right, they'd only let me because they need my help; how convenient. When it's over, they'll reject me again", the Lord of the Dead complained.

"Then don't do if for them. Do it for you. For your own honor", Nico suggested.

"And for your survival", he added. "Who knows? Maybe they'll welcome you this time. It could be a new beginning for everyone."

Hades remained silent.

"Wasn't that what mother wanted?" Nico pressed harder. "That the other gods would see you as you really are?"

"Yes? How _am I_ exactly?"

His mother's words resonated in his head: _you're a kind man, a generous man_. Nico found he couldn't disagree with her. After all, Hades did everything he could to keep his children safe; he really went to great lengths to assure their safety. Plus, his father received him into his palace when he had nowhere else to go.

"Good", Nico answered. "You're good."

Hades looked at him in disbelief.

"If you want to be mad at someone, you should be mad at Kronos", Nico continued. "This whole mess was his fault in the first place. If he hadn't tried a comeback, there would be no hero who could potentially destroy the gods, thus, the great prophecy would never have been spoken. He's the ultimate responsible for everything that happened."

The boy paused as he let his words sink in. "Also, he ate you after you were born, remember?" he remarked, for more emphasis.

Hades gazed at Nico intently. "Fathers", he eventually said. "They can be pretty wicked."

"That's kind of a broad generalization. Not all fathers are equal. Some are way better than others", Nico replied.

"Really?"

"Yeah, like for example, your father is most definitely evil. Mine is not."

Hades lips quirked upward to form a slight smile.

"You'll need a helmet", the god told his son.

"What?"

"To fight in the war." Hades approached Nico and put a hand over the boy's head. "You're coming with me".

Nico beamed at his father and then followed him when he went off to organize the Underworld's army.

* * *

**Review please?**

**Reviews help me to get inspired.**

**A/N: Many people have asked me to update faster and okay, I'll try, but here's the thing: I'm not a skilled writer. I just can't write a chapter in a couple of days, unless I have an inspiration fever or something. For me, it takes some time to organize my ideas into a coherent story. If you add to it that I'm a perfectionist, you may realize why I take weeks to update. Having said that, I'll try that the next chapters come as soon as possible. Thanks for sticking with me.  
**


	12. Insanity

**Thanks everyone for the lovely reviews. Thanks to the guests: Trident Lover, blueice2249 and Guest. Special thanks to blueice2449: you gave me tons of ideas for the rest of the chapters! I may not use all of them though, since I already have planned some of those themes, but thanks a lot. You've been very helpful :)**

* * *

**INSANITY**

Nico entered the dinning hall of Hades's palace for his accustomed weekly dinners with the Lord of the Dead. The meetings were rather awkward, but his father had invited him once to dine with them sometimes and Nico knew better than to refuse a god's request, so he accepted. He had been coming ever since he turned fifteen, last year. He had to bring his own food though, since he didn't want to become a permanent guest of the Underworld yet. Despite spending most of his time there, he liked having the option to leave whenever he wanted.

Today, Nico was more anxious than usual to meet his father. That morning, he came across a picture of Adolf Hitler and he was struck by the resemblance between the German dictator and Hades, which got him thinking. He knew Hitler and him were related, but hadn't realized the implications of it until now. It had been nagging him all day.

"Hey, dad", Nico greeted his father, who was already waiting for him at the head of the table.

"Good evening", Hades said and motioned to his son to take a seat.

Nico sat down and pulled out his food, as some undead servants brought dinner to the Lord of the Underworld, and they started eating in silence.

"So, Hitler was your son, huh?" Nico blurted out before he could stop himself. He needed to get it out of his system.

Hades looked at his son oddly. "Yes", he answered curtly and went back to eat.

"So was Napoleon", Nico observed.

Hades nodded, glancing briefly at Nico.

"Both were insane" the boy pointed out.

Hades stopped eating and put down his cutlery to face Nico. "What exactly is your point?"

"Is insanity a hereditary trait that we receive from you or…?"

"Of course not!" Hades shouted. "Are you implying I'm insane?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at the boy.

"No dad!"

"Then why do you ask?" the god protested.

"Because two world leaders with the same issues who happened to be siblings seems too much of a coincidence to me."

"It was their mothers' fault", Hades stated.

"Of course you'd say that", Nico countered.

"They weren't raised well" the Lord of the Underworld remarked.

"I'm an orphan", Nico told him. "Who spent most of his childhood locked up in a hotel. With a sister as his only parental figure. How can I know I won't end up insane as well?"

"Do you want to take over the world?" Hades inquired his son.

"No"

"Do you want to be worshiped by the masses?"

"No"

"Do you still hold grudges?"

"Sometimes", Nico answered.

"Which is completely normal. You have nothing to worry about", the Lord of the Dead reassured the boy.

"Still-

"Insanity is _not _a common trait of my offspring!" Hades insisted.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"Name one of your children who was known for his good deeds instead of for wreaking havoc."

Hades opened his lips to speak, but Nico cut him off. "Someone who lived long enough to cause an impact on society. Those who died young don't count", he added.

Hades frowned as he thought about it. It seemed like the god had a hard time to come up with an answer.

"Joseph Highmore", he said after a while.

"Who?"

"Joseph Highmore" Hades repeated.

"Never heard of him."

"Because he wasn't famous enough to appear in history books. But he was a good and heroic son of mine, I assure you."

"Really?" Nico questioned.

"Yes, really" Hades said, gritting his teeth. Nico could tell the god's patience was wearing thin.

"Tell me his story", the boy asked his father.

"Joseph was born in 1635, in London, by a noble woman. He soon became rejected by others, due to his aura of death, therefore, he isolated himself. When he grew up and became a young man, he moved to a small village to live alone in a cabin near the woods. There, he spent his years protecting women who were accused of witchcraft by the authorities, defending them and using his powers to repel the hordes that came to apprehend them. But his most heroic act was saving his village from a fire. He made the shadows swallow the flames and shadow-travelled all the people who had gotten trapped under the debris. He saved everyone. Unfortunately, the excessive use of his powers drained him too much and he ran out of energy. He couldn't escape in time and died from smoke inhalation. He was 43 years old at the time of his death."

Nico was truly impressed. "That _is_ pretty heroic."

"Indeed."

"How come I haven't met him before? I've been in Elysium hundreds of times and never ran into him."

"You don't believe me?"

"I do! I just think it's strange" Nico replied.

Hades rose from the table. "Come", he told his son.

"Where?"

"To Elysium. I will take you to meet him."

* * *

Once in Elysium, Hades directed his son toward a neighborhood of beautiful old houses. They approached a man who was talking cheerfully with other two spirits under a tree.

"Joseph", Hades called him. The man turned around. Nico studied him carefully. This man was without a doubt a child of Hades. He was tall and thin, had pale skin, black hair and the classic maniac eyes that all sons of Hades inherited. Unlike Nico, however, his eyes were dark blue and he had a small beard. He was sort of good looking. Upon reading his life, Nico realized that all what his father said about him was true.

"Father", the man, Joseph, greeted the Lord of the underworld. "To what do I owe this honor?"

"Your half-brother here, Nico di Angelo, wanted to meet you, so I brought him", the god explained. "Nico, this is Joseph. Joseph this is Nico", he introduced them.

Joseph smiled at Nico. "Hello."

"Hi", Nico said shyly.

The three of them looked at each other during a long moment filled with uncomfortable silence. "Well, then, I will leave you two to get acquainted", Hades eventually said, before going away.

"So, you're the famous Nico di Angelo" Joseph told the younger demigod, once the Lord of the Dead had left.

Nico almost choked with his own saliva. "Famous?"

Joseph chucked lightly. "You're quite a legend among the children of Hades, little brother"

"A legend? Why?" Nico asked in bewilderment.

"You're the first child of Hades who was welcomed as a hero on Olympus. Nobody accomplished such a feat before."

Nico gaped at his half-brother. "Seriously?"

Joseph nodded. "Did you not know it?"

Nico shook his head, a bit embarrassed. "You're a hero too", he complimented the man before him. "I mean, saving a whole village? Sounds like something a superhero would do. You made Dad very proud."

"You call him dad?" Joseph asked him.

"Yeah, how do you call him?"

"Father. I was never very close to him", Joseph admitted. "He only visited me a couple of times in all my 43 years of life. You know, the standard for gods."

"He spoke fondly of you."

"I wouldn't expect any less. I'm one of the three or five of his children who hasn't put his name to shame."

Nico laughed at his brother's sense of humor. Joseph, like him, had a sad and lonely life, but none of that was reflected in his eyes now. There was no resentment, no bitterness, no sadness. He seemed genuinely happy. Despite the intensity of his gaze, his eyes only reflected peace. Nico guessed that going to Elysium does that to people.

"Well, I'd better get going. I have things to do. It was really nice to meet you though", Nico told him.

Joseph grinned. "Likewise. Come visit me often."

"I will."

* * *

Nico returned to the Palace of Hades, where his father was walking down a hallway in a hurry with a clipboard full of papers. The boy went to join him, struggling to keep up the pace.

"Back already?" the Lord of the Dead asked Nico.

"Yeah, Joseph's a nice guy. I just have a couple more questions."

Hades sighed, coming to a stop. "Of course you do", he muttered.

"Was Mussolini your son too?"

The god massaged his temples. "What part of my children led the losing side of World War II did you not understand?"

"Right. And Nero? Was he your son?"

"More like the son of Pluto. But yes."

"Huh. Let me guess, he wasn't raised well either?"

"Exactly"

"What about King Henry VIII?"

"He was a son of Zeus."

"I figured." Nico regarded his father for a few minutes. "Is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"I'm the first of your children who received a hero's welcome on Olympus?"

"Yes", Hades answered, staring at his son.

"That's...I can't believe...How is that possible?"

The Lord of the Underworld shrugged. "It must be because you're the least insane one."

Nico bit back a chuckle. Was his father teasing him? "I suppose that makes me your favorite child then."

"I suppose it does" Hades said, amused by their banter. "And since you're such an extraordinary son, take care of this for me, will you?" he requested as he handed Nico his clipboard.

"Some spirits filed complaints against their sentences. You have to analyze if they're justified", the god instructed his son. "Charon needs my help to solve a problem and I just can't do everything at the same time. It's tiring."

Nico watched helplessly as Hades disappeared before he could utter a word, leaving him with a considerable amount of paperwork.

* * *

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